Loyalty remains
by Kerijiano Caranova
Summary: All else is gone. The rising of the new ruler of Cyclonia, and how some bonds are destroyed. Others stay, loyal to the new ruler. Others stay out of fear, and have nowhere else to go. Only two OCs. Pairings? Maybe.
1. epilogue

Epilogue

A skimmer flew through the crimson sky, with a 20-year-old girl hanging on. Her long purple hair whipped in the building wind, and she had to shield her grey-blue eyes from the biting cold. She had run away from her old home, all because she had wanted to be a Cyclonian Talon. Her mother had told her no, she was better off being a housewife for her future husband. Remembering what she had said, the girl snorted with disgust. "weakling. She wanted nothing more than to see me become what she was." Seeing the large mansion-cum-castle, she pulled the handles downwards, and started to head towards the enormous gates. As the skimmer slowly went downwards, she saw cyclonian talons flying around the castle, and patrolling the walls. Excitement bubbled in her as she saw them, and landed. However, she wasn't expecting them to be pointing their staffs at her, the crystals embedded in the tips glowing menacingly. Some of the cyclonians were watching her, and some murmured to themselves. Finally, one of them stepped forward, and ordered "You there, girl! What is your name, and what do you want here?!"

The girl turned the skimmer's engine off, and said "My name is Finch. And I want to be a Cyclonian Talon." Staring defiantly into the face of the cyclonian's face, she stood, and waited. It was clear to all she was quite short, but the snapping temper simmered in her eyes, and told them she was not a pushover. The other searched her for a while, looking for hesitation or nervousness. When he saw none, he nodded, and turned around.

"Follow me. Master Cyclonis will want to see you." Walking through the doors, he marched straight ahead, not showing any emotion, just looking ahead. Finch walked behind him, looking around, and seeing all of Cyclonia's power. Excitement grew again, along with the feeling that she belonged. She saw cyclonians controlling machines, patrolling the towers, and bringing in shipments. She saw cyclonians of all ages, the youngest seemingly to be a girl, with blue-black hair and pink eyes. As their eyes met, an expression flitted into the other's eyes, one which Finch could have sworn was jealousy. However, it passed when she looked away, and entered the large throne room. She guessed this because of the large, dominating chair, clad in shadows near the other end of the room. To one side were two people, one male and one female. The male looked to be in his early twenties, and the female looked to be mid-twenties. As they looked at Finch, she felt herself straighten her back to appear taller. She gave the two a quick glance, just enough to see the simulaties in their features made them brother and sister. To the other side was a male, with jet black hair and red eyes, who looked to be mid-twenties as well. This was the rumoured Dark Ace, who joined the Cyclonians after killing the Storm Hawks in a spectacular betrayal.

"Master Cyclonis, I have brought a newcomer. She wishes to join our ranks, and so I knew you would want to see her." Finch's attention was brought back to the chair as the occupant leaned forwards and whispered "Bring... the girl forward. I want to see her. My eyes... they are not as good as they once were." The Cyclonian who had been kneeling, stood up, and grabbing Finch by the arm, pushed her forwards towards the chair. Finch glared at the cyclonian, noting with pleased pleasure how he looked down as soon as he saw her eyes. Turning towards the chair, she bowed her head.

"hahaha... she knows who to respect." the voice wheezed out, and Finch kept her eyes down. It was common knowledge that to look upon the master was death. She resisted the urge to look up, and much to her suprise, she heard the whispery voice saying "Come closer my dear... and Let me look upon your face. I wish to see if you have the skills to become a good talon." Finch hesitated for only a moment, then looked up into large, watery blue-purple eyes. The master. The one who had brought Cyclonia up from the small furnace to a large empire. He was old, shown by his thin white hair, and wrinkled skin. His time was near. Finch had heard the rumours, but she had never believed it until now. He lifted a hand, and the Dark Ace walked over, helping him down his chair. "Thank you, Dark Ace." Wheezing a little from the effort, he walked over to Finch, and took her face in his cool hands. Grey-blue looked into blue-purple, until he chuckled, and turned back to his chair. "She will do. She has the will I like in my Talons. But for now? Send her to the school to be trained."

The five Talons, three commanders, one sub-command, and one rookie, bowed to the Master, and left the room. Finch was dwarfed by the four taller, but there was one who caught her eye. The purple-haired male, with orange armour. Shifting her gaze a little, so she was still able to see forwards, but to see a little of the tall one, she examined him. Hook nosed, large purple eyes, with a sharp face, and well muscled. A small smile crept onto her face, and she thought "I'm going to like being a talon..."


	2. A new Era

**Chapter one**

"Come on, you gleep! Come and attack me!"

The taller Talon stood at the other end of the pole, cackling as he managed to push the trainee talons off with ease. Turning from the child on the ground, he was met with a short figure, Purple hair held back by a hairband, and eyes showing confidence. "Spikehead eh? Well, lets see if you have any luck this time ahahah!"

Finch cocked an eyebrow at the taller, and thought for a few moments of why she had been defeated last time - he had stared into her eyes not more than a handspan away, and she had lost all control of motion. Snipe had then stamped on the log, and she had fallen. Narrowing her eyes, she said "Not this time, _Sarge_!" And stood as Snipe growled, then ran forwards towards her. She leapt over,using his staff as leverage, and landed behind him, and let out a small giggle, tapping him on his back. "Down here, sir." Snipe looked around for a moment, then looked down, a confused look on his face. "HAH! A short child like you could never defeat Snipe!" The confused look turned to triumph, and then he swung his staff savagely towards Finch's lower legs, one that would surely have broken them if it had connected. As it was, Finch saw the blow coming, and letting out a gasp, leapt, just missing the blow. As she landed on the log, however, her foot missed, and she lost her balance. She fell, and landed on her elbows on the mattress. Sucking in her breath in pain, she looked up at Snipe, who stood laughing, and growled. standing up, she glared up at up, making his laughter fade only a little, and stalked away to the confirms of her bed to soothe the pain.

Angry tears sprang from her eyes, and she glared up at the ceiling, trying to blink them away. She wanted to become the strongest, she _needed _ to become the best, but no, the commandor looked down on her because she was a girl. Letting out a small sigh, she turned and picked up the salve she kept there. "Spikehead, pfth." Raising a hand to run it through her hair, which had been clipped to be much shorter, she let out a grunt as her elbows complained. "Not exactly romantic, but then again, he's not the romantic type. Probably doesn't even realise I like him, the idiot." Hearing footsteps, she saw the rest of the class come in, followed by Snipe. Clapping his hands together for silence, he held up one finger, and waved it lazily in circles until he pointed to two people.

"Box and freckles, you're doing the food today. Go to the kitchens and start working!" The two saluted, then ran out of the room. Looking back at the crowd, some sat on their beds, some still standing, he let out a chuckle. "Good job today, almost got knocked off the log! Now rest up, for tomorrow we're going to be using the skimmers. Everyone interested in that? Flying?!" At the round of cheers, he laughed, and turned to leave "Good. Spikehead, come with me." Finch looked up, confused. She wasn't the only one. All of the others were watching her, some murmering in suprise, other just staring. Everyone knew that she was the oldest out of them, and so some of them had thought it was a little odd, her training with the children. Recently, there had been rumours that she and Snipe were having a secret relationship. Finch had laughed when she heard that one. Nothing could be further from the truth. "Spikehead, now! It's not nap time!"

Getting off the bed, Finch saluted "yes sarge." following him, she didn't look at him, determined to show the sort of Talon she could be. Loyal.

"Spikehead, you were one of the best today. I didn't want to say it because you're a girl-" at this Finch's eyes flashed with anger and she rounded on him.

"A girl?! You KNOW I'm the best in the class, and you don't want to say it just because of one thing?! Big deal! I bet Ravess is better than you!" Prodding him in the chest the best she could, she glared at him, seeing the slight confusion in his eyes until he grabbed her arm in his hand, and bent down to look her in the face.

"Spikehead, you shouldn't have done that! No one prods Snipe and gets away with it!"

"Then do your worst! I'm not a kid you can push around, even if I look like one!"

Snipe raised his other hand to strike her, when some of the trainee talons walked past and caught them, Finch being held by Snipe, and seemingly about to be struck. They stared at them, then fled. Growling, Snipe looked at her angrily, and spat out "Go and clean the floors. Maybe that will kill some of your spirit."

Finch glared coldly back, resisting the urge to attack him, and said quietly "Yes _Sarge._ Right away." Turning away, she heard the crackle of the communicator in the main room, and heard Snipe go to answer it. Touching her arm, she trembled a little thinking of how much power had been in that hand when he had grabbed it. Rolling the sleeve up, she looked at the red mark and touched it gently. Pain flashed, and she winced. Grabbing a bucket and a scrubbing brush, she filled it with warm soapy water, and went to clean the bathrooms.

Unknown to her, Snipe had watched her leave. Turning to answer the communicator, he sat listening for a while, then as Ravess finished telling the news, he let loose a bellow of "WHAT?!" and ran, leaving the building. As he ran past, some of the trainees followed him, wondering what had made him act like this. Little did they know, it was of a great importance. As Snipe leapt onto his heli-blade, the trainees stood near the doorway, murmering now. Snipe ignored them. What mattered was getting to the main base before it was too late. He pushed his heliblade to the limit, not noticing how dangerously low its fuel crystal was becoming until he saw the fortress in sight, and the heliblade stalled. But only for a moment. It was then Snipe noticed, and as soon as the blade was close enough, he leapt from it and used his parachute to float over to the landing strip. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he ran towards the throne room, skidding to a halt then opening the doors. To his shock, no one was there. Looking around, then hitting himself on the head "Dammit, he moved to his bedroom! stupid Snipe!" turning to find the bedroom, he saw ravess there, glaring at him through her hawk-like eyes. suprised, Snipe fell backwards, with a "yyeowch!" as he landed on the hard unyielding metal floor.

"It's about time, brother dear. He's requested to speak to us all before his daughter goes in."

"Wasn't my fault, my heli-blade stopped flying!"

A soft smile curved her lips "Well then, you should really learn how to fly it then. Come on." Turning to lead the way, she didn't look back to know that her taller, younger and admittedly, more stupid, brother was following her. Heavier footsteps followed her lighter, yet still savage footsteps until they were outside the large ornate doors. With a gesture of her head, Snipe opened them, and stepped inside. The smell of sickness hovered around in the air, but the two siblings swallowed their distaste. Dark Ace was already there,stood rigidly by the side. Ravess thought of how he looked like a regal statue, if it wasnt for the fact he was breathing. "Master Cyclonis. You called for us?"

A weak, raspy voice racked with pain rose from the bed "Ravess, Snipe. You are here. Finally. My time is near. I... I want you two to know... that... my daughter... will be the next ruler. I want you to... treat her... with the same respect you gave me during your time here."

Snipe narrowed his eyes and went to say something about girls being weaker, before Ravess elbowed him savagely in the ribs. His breath whooshed out in a "whoompfth" but luckily for him, Master Cyclonis didn't hear it.

"Dark Ace... I thank you... for coming to me... when you betrayed the storm hawks... and becoming... my champion and ruler over all the Talons... I hope you can... continue to do your best... when I am gone."

"Of course, Master Cyclonis. Loyalty always." Bringing a fist to his chestplate, he bowed, then turned to leave. "I will ask Lark to come into the room for you. Snipe, Ravess, leave now."

Snipe and Ravess bowed, then left the room. As they left, a short, scawny teenage girl entered, dressed in dark purple and red. They didn't look at her, didn't dare to. Her eyes seemed older than she was... and made them afraid. She also had a gift for manipulating crystals in their raw form, something she seemed to abuse. She loved to lift the Talons into the air suddenly then let them drop, making them often, hurt themselves if they were lucky, or fall into the wastelands if they were unlucky. The doors closed behind Dark Ace, who glanced at Snipe and Ravess, then turned to walk away. "I would leave this area if I were you. You are not required by the master for this moment, so go back to your duties. Snipe, don't you have a school to look after? And Ravess, you were training your squadron for this... music you were planning on doing?"

"Yes, Dark Ace. Right away." Ravess bowed, and turned to leave in the direction of her room, where the Talons under her control feverishly checked their instruments and whether or not they were tuned.

"The school... oh SHARDS!" Snipe turned, and fled the corridor, grabbing his spare Heli-blade and flew back towards the school.

"Moron... A wonder why Master Cyclonis keeps him around." Dark Ace turned, and walked on to check the progress of the Talons. Since the master had become more ill and frail, the empire he had built around him in his prime was collasping, and the terras were becoming more and more free. His fists tightened on the sword. Raising it to look at it's grooved blade, it wasn't long before he found a familiar nick. The one that had been caused when he had killed the sky knight of the storm hawks. Looking over the dark red and black terrain, with the occasional flash of lighting, he laughed. He was pleased he had turned to the Cyclonian's side, for he had been going no where when he had been a copilot. "_Pah! _Co pilot was nothing for me! I deserved to have a higher position. It does not matter that _he _found me and 'saved' me from a life of being a thief. Shards below!" At this, Dark Ace started to pace up and down the platform, no longer thinking aloud, but inside of his head. True, he had had some sort of regret at killing the sky knight, but he had staked it down as anger at himself for not killing him earlier. As he stalked around, He decided to jump onto his switchblade and fly off on a random routine check on the few terras that were under the control of Cyclonia. Leaping with ease, he didn't notice one Talon watching him go with narrowed pink eyes. Brushing her curly blue black hair out of her eyes, she turned back to tend to the furnaces.

.oOo.

While the trio went off in their own ways, Master Cyclonis was laid in bed, watching his youngest daughter come into the room. She had the grace and beauty of her mother, the only thing he saw of himself in her was in her eyes. Blue-purple, wary, and heavily hooded. She wore a simple dark purple cloak, with plain reddish black clothes, which revealed the fact she was nothing more than a scarecrow. Cyclonis sighed, seeing the future beauty she would become. As she stepped nearerer, he gestured for her to sit on the bed. "My daughter... Lark..." he began before he was interuptted by a quiet voice.

"Don't call me Lark, old man." The youngest of his three children looked up at him, and glared at him.

"W-what?" The shock of hearing his beloved Lark say that, with such… savage anger in her voice made him lapse into a fit of coughing.

"You heard me. So long I had to go through your adoration, your talks of me being the best out of my siblings. I hate you. I only acted like the innocent child so you wouldn't suspect anything."

"L-lark…w-water… please…"

Turning towards the heavy jug, she lifted it, made as if to pour him a glass, then, instead poured it all over the floor. Seeing the look of shock in his eyes, and the rapidly weakening coughing, which faded to a gurgle as the fluids in his lungs slowly drowned him. "It is my time now, old man. No more are you Master Cyclonis, ruler of a crumbling empire. No more are you father, and no more will you sicken me" Standing up, she walked slowly towards the heavy hanging cloak, and lifted it, stroking the spikes that curved menacingly towards her until it knew her fingertips, and curved back into the shape they normally took. Putting the cloak on, the spikes curved into a hood over her head, shielding her eyes from view.

"L-lark…why…?" the last, feeble croak came, until there was a sudden silence, and a hand drooped feebly over the side of the bed. Master Cyclonis was dead. Lark showed no feeling, felt no feeling. All she did was walk to the edge of the bed, and lift the hand that was rapidly cooling down. No heartbeat.

"My name… is no longer Lark. I am now the new ruler." Lifting her head up under its sleek hood, she looked up at the enormous curtains, hiding the view of outside. Opening them with a florish, she looked out upon the ravaged plains stricken with thunder and lighting, the tall spikes rising out of the grounds and into the air, the various talons patrolling around, and in the distance in two directions, she saw a purple heli-blade, and a switchblade. Opening the windows and walking onto the balcony, the new Master Cyclonis spread open her arms…and laughed. A low, soft chuckle rose from her slender throat to become loud, almost insane laughter, and all the talons that heard it, shuddered.

An era had ended, and a new one was to rise. The world was to change from what it had known… and it was going to be afraid.


End file.
